Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1887-06-29
Destructive Conaagration.
The Railway Shops Burned.

Thursday night at 1880 o'clock, by the
burning of the rail mill, machine shop
carpenter shop and blacksmith shop, Of
the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul rail
way, situated at the Junction in the
Third ward. The flames were first dis.
covered by the Waterman issuing from
the boiler room of the rail mill, and the
application by persons first ON the scene
of number of pals of water found about
the building, had no effect on the fire
The structures being all frame and con-
nected one with the other, except the
blacksmith shop, which WAS brick and
separated from the carpenter shop by q
few feet, the destruction of the building
was rapid owing to the infammable
material composing them, and the dry
and tindeE-like condition of everything at
the time. The Phoenix company with
the Silsby engine was promptly On the
ground and performed splendid work as
usual but all the heroic and well directed
efforts of the Phoenix boys were futile to
stay the fearful progress of the flames
spreading with such rapidity and cover
ing space so wide as to be beyond the
capacity of their energies to circumvent it.
The Pioneer fire company did not
reach the fire for some time after the
Phoenix boys arrived on the ground, be-
ing delayed by going out of the way on
account of misjudging the location of the
fire and to climax the matter the whiff1e
trees broke OH the route and the horses hav-
ing to be abandoned, the Ahrens engine
had to be hauled by hand. To confine the
fire within small space, was the only
hope of getting it under su objection as the
water supply at hand was hardly adequate
to cope with fire Of the magnitude it
soon assumed after being first discovered
Daylight Friday morning dawned upon
the entire plant being mass OF ruins,
thoroughly wiped out, with the exception
OF the brick walls left standing of the
blacksmith shop, the two tall chimneys
of the rail mill and portion of The lathes
and machinery of the machine shop,
forming q sad scene of desolation and
destruction, that will ever remain fresh
in the minds of all who with sorrowful
hearts witnessed it.
The loss of property by the fire is var
iously estimated at from $4,000 to $780,
coo, some setting the figures as high as
$150,000 There are a nvmber of en-
ployes of the company who lose their kits
of tools in the buildings Those on the
ground early were able to save their tools,
so that the individual loss in the aggre-
gate will not be heavy. No rolling stock
was burned, the round house, fortunately,
being so remote from the fire as not to be
injured. The railway officials are unable
to learn the origin of the fire, and it will
always, no doubt, remain mystery.
There is a rumor afoat that spon taneous
combustion of oily rags may have caused
the fire, but what this theory is based on
we are unable to ascertain.
And now as to the direct results of the
fire upon this city. There was On an
average about 200 men employed in the
shops destroyed, footing up a pay roll of
from 5000 to $4,000 per month, and
the loss of this to our city would indeed
be severe blow, effecting seriously the
business interests of the place.
AS to the rebuilding of the shops, the
point is fully settled, we believe, that
there will be no rail mill built here, and
as to the re-establishing of the other parts
of the work here, all is as yet mere con-
lecture. Watertown is not located just
right for rail mill, being too remote
from the extreme west lines of the COM
pany. The company have partly deter
mined to have rail repairing done in fu-
ture by portable outfit, which will be
moved TO the different points where the
rails have been collected. Watertown
Will, DO doubt, be one Of the points where
rails will be sent to be repaired under
this system. Again, our committee who
waited upon the railway officials in Mil
waukee, Monday, were told that the COM
pany could buy their frogs and such ap-
planes at less cost than they could be
furnished at the shops here. Should the
company cease to make such articles, a
much smaller machine shop would suffice
on the site of the old one for the COM
pany's work. There is a reasonable
probability that carpenter shop of the
capacity of the one burned may still be
maintained here, although, Of course,
there is nothing certain even about this.
1t is earnestly to be hoped that the
Chicago, Milwaukee & ST.. Paul company
will find it to their interest and conven-
;anca IN carry on here 40 much of their